Desperation ... Hayden Ballantyne dives for the ball, but it was the Bombers who prevailed. Source: AAP
For a half of football, Essendon looked every bit of a team distracted by a drugs crisis that seems to be growing by the week.
The Bombers booted just one goal in the opening half and appeared destined for a heavy defeat after trailing by 36 points at the long break.
| 5.3 (33) | Q1 | 0.3 (3) |
| 7.5 (47) | Q2 | 1.5 (11) |
| 7.7 (49) | Q3 | 6.10 (46) |
| 9.14 (68) | Q4 | 10.12 (72) |
| Chris Mayne 3 | Stewart Crameri 3 |
| Nathan Fyfe 2 | Michael Hurley 2 |
| Michael Walters 2 | Dyson Heppell 1 |
| Hayden Ballantyne 1 | Ben Howlett 1 |
| Paul Duffield 1 | Elliott Kavanagh 1 |
| Nick Kommer 1 | |
| Patrick Ryder 1 |
But in an amazing turn of events, Essendon booted seven unanswered goals after half-time before ruckman Paddy Ryder kicked the winner with just a minute left on the clock to secure the 10.12 (72) to 9.14 (68) victory.
But it wasn't that simple at the death.
Dockers defender Paul Duffield had the chance to tie the scores with 41 seconds remaining but his shot to dribbled to the left of the posts.
Then Chris Mayne had the chance to win it with 21 seconds remaining, but his snap hit the post.
Bombers coach James Hird entered the match under increasing pressure to stand down after he was accused of being fully aware of the club's controversial supplements program.
His players would have also been feeling increasingly nervous after details emerged of the bizarre concoctions they'd received under the club's former sports scientist Stephen Dank.
The players had been able to put the pre-season drama to one side in big wins over Adelaide and Melbourne, but the fresh wave of allegations seemed to have finally taken a toll.
Mayne's goal at the 20-minute mark of the second term extended Fremantle's lead to 37 points.
At half-time, it was still 36 points.
Hird, under the most pressure he'd ever experienced, must have given one hell of a speech during the break because the Bombers were like a team possessed in the second half.
Their run and carry in the slippery conditions was superb.
Stewart Crameri and Michael Hurley finally got off the leash up forward to kick some vital goals, while Fremantle's attacking forays dried up.
"He's a friend to us all,'' Bombers skipper Jobe Watson said of Hird after the match.
"He's our coach. We feel for him and his family. He means a lot to us.''
Hurley ended the match nursing an injury to his right wrist, while Bombers duo Paddy Ryder and Nick Kommer are facing possible suspensions after unleashing damaging head-high bumps.
Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin, playing his 200th game, was subbed out in the opening term due to a crunching bump from Ryder.
McPharlin tapped the ball forward into the path of a teammate, but was flattened when Ryder came from the opposite direction.
Later in the term, Dockers ruckman Kepler Bradley was left bleeding and dazed when Kommer's shepherd went wrong.
Not only was Kommer's shepherd late, but his hip made contact with Bradley's head as the Docker attempted a diving tackle.
Essendon had to wait until nine minutes into the second term before kicking their first goal of the match.
And it only came with a massive slice of luck, the ball falling into the arms of Crameri after Hurley's set shot slewed horribly off his boot.
"That's one of the best wins I've ever been involved in,'' Brendon Goddard said after the siren.
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